Shoe fastener and extension tool

ABSTRACT

Described is a shoe fastener for use with a shoe having an upper, eyelets in the upper, and laces. The shoe fastener includes a zipper having a zipper clasp and a tape. The tape has a width on each side of the zipper clasp that is sized and shaped to accommodate tape eyelets in the tape on each side of the zipper clasp. Upon inserting the shoe fastener adjacent to the upper of the shoe, and threading the laces through the shoe eyelets and the tape eyelets to secure the fastener to the shoe, the shoe may be fastened and unfastened by operating the zipper clasp.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present specification relates generally to fasteners, and morespecifically relates to footwear fasteners and associated tools.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Footwear is widely recognized as an important personal possession useddaily by many people. For many footwear users, their use of footwearalso serves important fashion and social functions. The quantity andrange of footwear available for purchase in the marketplace is huge. Inaddition to variation reflective of quality, dimensions, and intendeduse, much variety is provided to satisfy individual preferences withregard to such aspects as color, design, and material.

Many items of footwear incorporate laces as a means of closing the itemsof footwear to assist in holding the footwear securely around a foot.Some people have difficulty using laces or related closing features. Forexample, many young children have not yet learned to tie laces, manypeople may have trouble tying laces due to age-related decline, illness,injury, the effects of medication, developmental disabilities, orphysical disabilities.

People who have difficulty with laces and related closing features andtools may accordingly lose access to a great number of potentialfootwear selections, and may find themselves limited to a comparativelysmall selection from which to satisfy their needs and desires. This maybe particularly true for casual and athletic footwear, which aregenerally manufactured in a lace-up configuration and which may notfunction as well when in a non-lace-up configuration such as a slip-on,front-zipper, or Velcro™ configuration.

Accordingly, there remains a need for improvements in the art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with an aspect of the invention, there is provided a shoefastener for use with a shoe having an upper, eyelets in the upper, andlaces, the shoe fastener comprising: a zipper having a zipper clasp anda tape, wherein the tape has a width on each side of the zipper clasp;and a plurality of tape eyelets in the tape on each side of the zipperclasp; the tape width being sized and shaped to accommodate the tapeeyelets; wherein upon inserting the fastener adjacent to the upper ofthe shoe, and threading the laces through the shoe eyelets and the tapeeyelets to secure the fastener to the shoe, the shoe may be fastened andunfastened by operating the zipper clasp.

According to an embodiment of the invention, there is provided a shoefastener kit comprising: a shoe having an upper, eyelets in the upper,and laces; and a fastener comprising a zipper having a zipper clasp anda tape, and a plurality of tape eyelets in the tape on each side of thezipper clasp; wherein upon inserting the fastener adjacent to the upperof the shoe, and threading the laces through the shoe eyelets and thetape eyelets to secure the fastener to the shoe, the shoe may befastened and unfastened by operating the zipper clasp.

According to a further embodiment, the present invention provides azipper comprising: a zipper clasp; a tape on each side of the zipperclasp; and a plurality of eyelets in the tape on each side of the zipperclasp.

According to a further embodiment, the present invention provides a shoefastener for use with a shoe having an upper, eyelets in the upper, andlaces, the shoe fastener comprising: a zipper having a zipper clasp anda tape, wherein the tape is made of a soft, pliant, and flexiblematerial; an extension element made of a soft, pliant, and flexiblematerial, and attached to each side of the tape; and a plurality offastener eyelets in each side of the extension element; wherein uponinserting the fastener adjacent to the upper of the shoe, and threadingthe laces through the shoe eyelets and the fastener eyelets to securethe fastener to the shoe, the shoe may be fastened and unfastened byoperating the zipper clasp.

According to a further embodiment, the present invention provides anextension tool for manipulating a zipper, comprising: an extensiondefining a first end and an opposing second end; a handle, the handlesecured to the first end of the extension; and an interactive element,the interactive element secured to the second end of the extension.

Other aspects and features according to the present application willbecome apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art upon review ofthe following description of embodiments of the invention in conjunctionwith the accompanying figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which show, byway of example only, embodiments of the invention, and how they may becarried into effect, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a shoe fastener according to an embodiment;

FIG. 2 is another front view of the shoe fastener of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a back view of the shoe fastener of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is another back view of the shoe fastener of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 5A and 5B are perspective views of lace-up shoes of the prior art;

FIG. 6 is a partial top perspective view of the shoe fastener of FIG. 1inserted in and secured to a shoe, with the zipper in a closed position;

FIG. 7 is another partial top perspective view of the shoe fastener ofFIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is another partial top perspective view of the shoe fastener ofFIG. 6, with the zipper in an open position;

FIG. 9 is another partial top perspective view of the shoe fastener ofFIG. 6, with the zipper in an open position;

FIG. 10 is another partial top perspective view of the shoe fastener ofFIG. 6, with the zipper in an open position;

FIG. 11A is a front perspective view of a shoelace having a stop in theform of a knot at a free end, according to an embodiment;

FIG. 11B is a front perspective view of a shoelace having a stop in theform of a spherical bead at a free end, according to an embodiment;

FIG. 12A is a fragmentary perspective view of a shoe fastener kitwithout extra laces, according to an embodiment;

FIG. 12B is a fragmentary perspective view of a shoe fastener kitprovided with extra laces, according to an embodiment;

FIG. 13 is a top view of a shoe fastener having an extension element,according to an embodiment;

FIG. 14 is a front view of a telescoping tool for assisting with movingthe zipper of the shoe fastener, according to an embodiment; and

FIG. 15 is a front view of a non-telescoping tool for assisting withmoving the zipper of the shoe fastener, according to an embodiment.

Like reference numerals indicate like or corresponding elements in thedrawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to FIGS. 1-4 there are shown different views of a shoefastener 10, according to an embodiment. As indicated, shoe fastener 10is a zipper type fastener, and includes zipper elements such as a slider12, a pull tab or puller 14, interlocking teeth 16, a top stop 18, and abox or bottom stop 20. For convenience, these elements, which functionto close the zipper by bringing interlocking teeth 16 together, or openthe zipper by separating teeth 16, may collectively be designated aszipper clasp 22.

Shoe fastener 10 also includes a tape 24, which is a fabric that holdsor is secured to elements of zipper clasp 22. Shoe fastener 10 mayaccordingly be viewed as a fabric, namely tape 24, incorporating acentral zipper clasp 22. In some embodiments, zipper clasp 22 may runthe length of fastener 10 such that tape 24 can be separated into twostrips of tape, while in some embodiments a bottom end of zipper clasp22 may not be openable, and in some embodiments zipper clasp 22 mayterminate some distance from a bottom edge of tape 24 and may beseparated from the bottom edge by a width of fabric. A fully separabletape 24 may be desirable where a user wishes to more fully open a pairof shoes, while a closed bottom end of zipper clasp 22 may make the useof fastener 10 less complicated or more durable or user friendly. Asshown in the figures, tape 24 has a tape width 26 on either side ofzipper clasp 22, which may be measured to include the width of the teeth16 as in FIG. 2 or without including the teeth 16 as in FIGS. 3 and 4.

FIGS. 1 and 3 are front and back views, respectively, of shoe fastener10 in which slider 12 is pulled to the top of zipper clasp 22 so thatfastener 10 is closed. Similarly, FIGS. 2 and 4 are front and backviews, respectively, of shoe fastener 10 in which slider 12 is pulled tothe bottom of zipper clasp 22 so that fastener 10 is fully or mostlyopened.

According to an embodiment, shoe fastener 10 further includes aplurality of eyelets 28 in tape 24. Eyelets are small holes, usuallyround, and may be finished along the edge, as in cloth or leather ormetal or plastic. Eyelets are provided for the passage of a lace orcord. In the embodiment of FIGS. 1-4 tape 24 has eight eyelets 28, witha set of four eyelets 28 on either side of zipper clasp 22. Eyelets 28may also be referred to as tape eyelets 28 since they are in tape 24.

FIGS. 5A and 5B show lace-up shoes 30 of the prior art. As indicated,shoe 30 includes an upper 32, shoe eyelets 34 in upper 32, and shoelacesor laces 35 (laces not shown in FIG. 5B). As is well known, a pair oflaces 35 are provided with a pair of shoes 30, so that there is oneshoelace or lace 35 for each shoe 30. It is to be appreciated thatlace-up shoes 30 shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B can only be fastened by lacingor threading laces 35 through shoe eyelets 34.

According to an embodiment as shown in FIG. 6, laces 35 may be removedfrom shoe 30, and shoe fastener 10 inserted into shoe 30, adjacent toupper 32. Laces 36, as described further below, may be threaded throughtape eyelets 28 and shoe eyelets 34 to secure shoe fastener 10 to shoe30. Upon being secured, shoe 30 may be fastened and unfastened byoperating zipper clasp 22 of shoe fastener 10.

Shoe fastener 10 may be sized and shaped to be substantially similar tothe size and shape of the particular shoe 30, or general type of shoes30, with which fastener 10 is to be used. In particular, there may bethe same number of tape eyelets 28 as shoe eyelets 34, and the spacingof tape eyelets 28 from one another may be substantially similar to aspacing of shoe eyelets 34 from one another. In this way each tapeeyelet 28 may be positioned substantially adjacent to its correspondingshoe eyelet 34.

In shoe fastener 10 of FIG. 1, each of the eight eyelets 28 has beendesignated to reflect its unique position: 28A1 to 28A4, and 28B1 to28B4, where “A” and “B” indicate the two sides of zipper clasp 22, and“1” to “4” indicate position from higher to lower on tape 24. Similarly,in FIG. 7, which is a closer view of installed fastener 10 than FIG. 6,shoe eyelets 34 have been similarly labelled 34A1 to 34A4, and 34B1 to34B4.

The spacing of tape eyelets 28 may be selected and oriented in twodirections: spacing between eyelets on the same side of zipper clasp 22,and spacing between corresponding eyelets on opposing sides of zipperclasp 22. For example, the spacing between eyelets 28A1 and 28A2, andthe spacing between eyelets 28A1 and 28B1.

It is to be appreciated when viewing these figures that the relativespacing between adjacent tape eyelets 28 on either side of zipper clasp22 is substantially similar to that between adjacent eyelets 34 on shoe30. For example, the spacing between tape eyelets 28A1 to 28A2 and thatbetween shoe eyelets 34A1 and 34A2. Similarly, the separation distancebetween tape eyelets on opposing sides of zipper clasp 22, i.e.28A1-28B1, 28A2-28B2, 28A3-28B3, and 28A4-28B4, is substantially similarto the separation distance between corresponding shoe eyelets, i.e.34A1-34B1, 34A2-34B2, 34A3-34B3, and 34A4-34B4. For example, theseparation distance 37 between tape eyelets 28A3 and 28B3 issubstantially similar to separation distance 37 between shoe eyelets34A3 and 34B3, as shown in respective FIGS. 1 and 7.

The spacing between eyelets of fastener 10 will usually be in keepingwith standard shoe configurations, which may mean unequal or irregularspacing depending on the shoe 30. For example, the shoes 30 shown inFIGS. 5A and 5B have regular, equal spacing between shoe eyelets 34.Accordingly, shoe fasteners 10 designed for these shoes will have tapeeyelets 28 that are similarly regular and equally spaced. By contrast,other shoes may have irregular spacing between adjacent eyelets on thesame side of a zipper or between eyelets on opposing sides of a zipper.Some shoes may also have eyelets in a recognizable pattern other thanstandard eyelet patterns, such as eyelets on one side of a zipper offsetfrom the opposing eyelets on the other side of the zipper. These andother arrangements of eyelets may be mirrored in various embodiments offastener 10.

Accordingly, it is to be appreciated that when designing shoe fastener10, tape width 26 of tape 24 is sized and shaped to accommodate thesize, number, and spacing of tape eyelets 28. In particular, tape width26 is sized and shaped so that separation distance 37 between tapeeyelets 28 on opposing sides of zipper clasp 22 is substantially similarto separation distance 37 between corresponding shoe eyelets 34 onopposing sides of upper 32.

The diameter of tape eyelets 28 is substantially similar to the diameterof shoe eyelets 34, and further is sufficiently large to accommodate thethickness of laces used with shoe 30, with which fastener 10 is to beused.

In a conventional pair of shoes 30 there is provided a pair of laces,i.e. two laces 35, one for each shoe. Each lace 35 is threaded throughall shoe eyelets 34 of shoe 30, crisscrossing between eyelets 34 oneither side of upper 32.

According to an embodiment, a pair of shoe fasteners 10 for use with apair of shoes 30 may use two pairs of modified laces 36 each, or fourlaces 36 in total for a set of two shoes. Laces 36 may be substantiallysimilar to laces 35 but modified to each fasten one side of a shoe upper32 to one side of a fastener 10 rather than to fasten one side of a shoeupper 32 to the other side of the shoe upper 32. Accordingly, each pairof two laces 36 may be used with each shoe 30, to secure shoe fastener10 to shoe 30. Each lace 36 may be threaded through tape eyelets 28 andshoe eyelets 34 on one side of zipper clasp 22 and upper 32 only, ratherthan employing one lace per shoe in a criss-cross configuration.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, lace 36A is threaded through the “A” side,i.e. through eyelets 34A4 and 28A4, through eyelets 34A3 and 28A3,through eyelets 34A2 and 28A2, and through eyelets 34A1 and 28A1.Similarly lace 36B is threaded through the “B” side, i.e. througheyelets 34B4 and 28B4, through eyelets 34B3 and 28B3, through eyelets34B2 and 28B2, and through eyelets 34B1 and 28B1. FIGS. 8, 9 and 10 areother views showing how each lace 36 is threaded through eyelets oneither side of upper 32 and zipper clasp 22.

Many conventional shoelaces include an aglet at each end of each lace.The aglet is a stiff section at the end provided primarily to increasethe durability of the end and to make it easier to hold the lace andfeed it through the shoe eyelets. According to an embodiment, lace 36may have an aglet 38 at one end and a stop 40 at the other or opposingend, or termination point, of the lace, rather then having an aglet ateach end. Stop 40 may be any type of material, item or structure that issufficiently large and firm that it is difficult to pass through shoeeyelet 34 and/or tape eyelet 28. Stop 40 may be, for example, a knot 42formed from the free end or termination point of lace 36, or ahard-spherical bead 44 with a central bore into which the free end oflace 36 may be inserted and glued, or a spherical bead formed on the endof lace 36 or some other stop. In these examples, the knot and sphericalbead are sized and shaped to be at least as large as the open diameterof shoe eyelet 34 and/or tape eyelet 28. FIGS. 11A and 11B respectivelyshow examples of laces 36 with stop 40 in the form of knot 42 andspherical bead 44, shown with eyelet 38 for reference.

Shoe fastener 10 may include or not include a set of extra laces 36.When laces 36 are included, there would be two pairs or four individuallaces 36. Each lace 36 would have a stop 40 at one end and besufficiently thin so that the other free end may be passed or threadedthrough tape eyelets 28. Each lace 36 would also be sufficiently long tothread through tape eyelets 28 of fastener 10 on a side of zipper clasp22, and through corresponding shoe eyelets 34 on a corresponding side ofupper 32. For example, each lace 36 provided with shoe fastener 10 ofFIG. 1 would be sufficiently long to pass through the four tape eyelets28A1-28A4, or equivalently eyelets 28B1-28B4, and their correspondingshoe eyelets 34 on a corresponding side of upper 32. Since differentshoes 30 may be used with fastener 10, a standard or typical thicknessof upper 32 of the type of shoe 30 that would use the particular shoefastener 10 may be used to help determine the extra length needed tothread through shoe eyelets 34. In some embodiments the length of laces36 would correspond to the number of eyelets expected in a shoe withwhich a fastener is to be used.

In some embodiments, only a subset of the eyelets of a shoe will beutilized in fastening fastener 10 to a shoe. For example, it may beconvenient to manufacture one or more standard sizes of fasteners, suchas large, medium and small sized fasteners, which may have dimensionsand eyelet configurations designed to match average shoe dimensions andeyelet configurations. The use of laces to secure fasteners to shoesallows for some flexibility in aligning eyelets of fasteners and eyeletsof shoes.

When laces 36 are not included with shoe fastener 10, the regular laces35 provided with the shoe may be used. For example, in some embodimentsregular laces 35 are cut at around their midpoint, and the free orterminal end so formed in each resultant segment may be tied into a knot42 or otherwise attached to an appropriate item like spherical bead 44to form stop 40. In this way, conventional laces 35 may be converted tolaces 36 sized and shaped for use with shoe fastener 10.

Tape 24 of shoe fastener 10 may be a fabric made from a soft, pliant andflexible material. This material may include, for example, cloth orcanvas fabrics, or a layer of other material such as leather or mouldedplastic or rubber.

Shoe fastener 10 is a zipper type fastener that, unlike zippers of theprior art, is not stitched or otherwise fixedly attached to a shoe.Since shoe fastener 10 uses laces 36 threaded through eyelets 28 and 34to attach to shoe 30, fastener 10 is removable since laces 36 may beunthreaded at any time.

Zipper clasp 22 may be a one-stage or a two-stage type. In a one-stagetype the bottom of fastener 10 does not come apart, and in a two-stagetype the bottom of fastener 10 may also be opened to allow the tape tobe opened into two unconnected sections, as one may open the bottom of azipper on a jacket. A benefit of the two-stage type is that it may beeasier for a user to remove their foot from shoe 30 after the zipper isseparated, as the tongue of shoe 30 can be raised higher. From anaesthetic perspective, it also provides a different style to the user.

Shoe fastener 10 may also be provided with shoes 30 as part of a shoefastener kit 46. According to an embodiment, and as shown in FIG. 12A,shoe fastener kit 46 may include a pair of shoes 30, having uppers 32,eyelets 34 in uppers 32, and a pair of regular laces 35. Shoe fastenerkit 46 would also include a pair of shoe fasteners 10, each fastener 10having zipper clasp 22, tape 24, and a plurality of tape eyelets 28 intape 24 on each side of zipper clasp 22.

Tape 24 of shoe fastener 10 provided with kit 46 may be sized and shapedso that separation distance 37 between tape eyelets 28 on opposing sidesof zipper clasp 22 is the same as or substantially similar to separationdistance 37 between shoe eyelets 34 on opposing sides of upper 32 ofshoe 30 provided with shoe fastener kit 46. The number of tape eyelets28 in fastener 10 may be the same as the number of shoe eyelets 34 inshoe 30. The spacing of tape eyelets 28 in fastener 10 from one anothermay be the same or substantially similar to the spacing of shoe eyelets34 from one another in shoe 30.

According to an embodiment, and as shown in FIG. 12B, shoe fastener kit46 may further include four extra laces 36, where each extra lace 36 issized and shaped to thread through tape eyelets 28 on a side of zipperclasp 22 and shoe eyelets 34 on a corresponding side of upper 32. Theextra laces 36 would include stops 40 at one end, the stops 40 beingsized and shaped to be sufficiently large so that the stopped end cannotbe threaded through tape eyelets 28.

It is to be appreciated that a user of shoe fastener kit 46 would havethe option to select whether to wear shoes 30 as a lace-up with theprovided regular laces 35, or alternatively insert fastener 10 and useshoes 30 with zipper clasp 22. In the embodiment of FIG. 12A, extralaces 36 are not provided, and a user may cut regular laces 35 to formtwo pairs, or four laces, 36, each with stops 40 such as knot 42 asshown in FIG. 11A. A user may also choose to obtain or prepare laces 36separately, keeping regular laces 35 intact. In that case, as well aswith the embodiment of FIG. 12B in which extra laces 36 are included inkit 46, the user could select either option, lace-up or zipper, andchange between them as desired.

A further aspect of shoe fastener kit 46 is that, in addition tofastener 10 and laces 36 being sized and shaped to fit the particularshoe 30, tape 24 of fastener 10 may be comprised of the same material asupper 32 of shoe 30. This material may be soft, pliant, and flexible.Alternatively, if not exactly the same material, the material of tape 24may have the same thickness, colour, style, and/or pattern as thematerial of upper 32. It is to be appreciated that, since in kit 46 theparticular shoe 30 to be used with fastener 10 is known, the material oftape 24 may be selected to have a complementary or aestheticallypleasing look, composition, or combination of features when used as aninsert with the particular shoe 30 in kit 46.

According to an embodiment, and as shown in FIG. 13, shoe fastener 10may comprise a zipper having zipper clasp 22 and tape 24, where tape 24is made of a soft, pliant, and flexible material, and an extensionelement 48 attached to each side of tape 24 that is also made of a soft,pliant, and flexible material. The plurality of eyelets 28 may be ineach side of extension element 48.

Shoe fastener 10 in this embodiment may be inserted adjacent to theupper 32 of shoe 30. Laces 36 may be threaded through shoe eyelets 34and fastener eyelets 28 in extension element 48 to secure fastener 10 toshoe 30, upon which shoe 30 may be fastened and unfastened by operatingzipper clasp 22.

A user interested in having a zipper enclosure for a lace-up shoe mayobtain shoe fastener 10 as an insert or as part of a kit 46. As aninsert, shoe fastener 10 may be designed specifically for use with aparticular shoe 30, or for a more general type of shoe 30. As a kit,shoe fastener 10 will be designed specifically for use with shoe 30provided in the kit.

Upon selection, the user may remove laces 35 that are part of lace-upshoe 30, and insert shoe fastener 10 by placing fastener 10 adjacent tothe upper 32 of the shoe, so that tape eyelets 28 are adjacent to shoeeyelets 34. The user will thread laces 36 through eyelets 28 and 34,securing fastener 10 to shoe 30. Laces 36 may either be provided withfastener 10 or as part of kit 46, or may be made by the user from laces35 by cutting laces 35 and tying the free end to form stop 40, or may beprovided separately. When inserted and secured to shoe 30, zipper clasp22 may be used to fasten and unfasten shoes 30.

In the prior art, eyelets are located in thick leather material attachedto another fabric. By contrast, the tape of shoe fastener 10 is made ofa flexible material, and the eyelets 28 are located in the tape itself.In this way, shoe fastener 10 is integral and one-piece with zipperclasp 22. This design provides better flexibility, durability, andcomfort to the user, particularly for a casual type of shoe 30.

People such as the elderly, the disabled, young children, and othersunable to tie shoes will no longer be restricted to the tiny market ofshoes that do not use laces. Shoe fastener 10 provides these groups ofpeople the opportunity to select from the endless number of lace-upshoes, and use them with zipper fasteners. Since shoe fastener 10 isremovable, young children and others who may have only a temporaryproblem using laces can use the zippers provided by fastener 10, andthen go back to laces when they are ready. This is economicallyefficient, since it enables these users to preserve their investment inlace-up shoes as they do not have to purchase new shoes.

Tools may also be provided for use with footwear zippers, to allow usersof the tools to more easily reach the zippers on footwear they arewearing. Such tools may incorporate a handle and an extension extendingfrom the handle, to allow users to grasp the handle and manipulaterelatively distant zippers using the opposite end of the extension. Theextension may also include a hook or other interaction element on thezipper interactive end of the extension, to more easily enable the userto manipulate a zipper. In some embodiments the extension may be ofvariable length, such as telescopic, while in other embodiments theextension may have a fixed length. The handle may be adjustable relativeto the extension, to allow a user to adjust the orientation of thehandle relative to the extension for a more convenient and effectivemanipulation of a zipper. Such a tool may also be designed to be easilyand conveniently stored, such as by incorporating a projection, such asfrom the handle, to allow the tool to be easily hung from a hook whennot in use.

FIG. 13 shows a tool 1300 for use with zippers. Tool 1300 is providedfor use with footwear, such as boots or shoes, which incorporate azipper. Tool 1300 may be used to pull up a zipper or to push down azipper without requiring the user to stoop down to reach the zipper withone or both of their hands. As depicted, tool 1300 includes a handle1310 for gripping in the hand of a user, and a telescopic extension1320. The telescopic structure of telescopic extension 1320 allows auser to choose a desired length of tool 1300, for example a taller usermay require telescopic extension 1320 to extend further in order for theuser to easily manipulate a zipper on an item of footwear when the useris wearing the item of footwear.

In some embodiments, telescopic portions of a telescopic extension maybe held relative to one another so that a user may choose a desiredlength of the telescopic tool and may subsequently use the tool both topush and to pull without loss of the desired length setting. Such a holdmay be a friction hold or may be a result of structural components, suchas mechanical or magnetic buttons provided on the tool.

Telescopic extension 1320 includes an interaction element on the endopposite the handle, the interaction element provided to allow a user tomore easily manipulate a zipper using tool 1300. As depicted, theinteraction element is a rigid v-shaped projection 1330, including afirst projection 1331 extending parallel to the body of extension 1320and a second projection 1332 extending perpendicular to the body ofextension 1320. Projection 1330 allows a user to deploy secondprojection 1332 as a hook, while first projection 1331 acts as a supportfor the material manipulated by second projection 1332.

Handle 1310 includes a projection 1340 provided to cooperate with ahook, such as to allow tool 1300 to be hung up in an entry way or otherconvenient location.

As depicted in FIG. 15, a tool 1400 may be provided, including a handle1410 and an extension 1420. Extension 1420 is of fixed length. A fixedlength may be preferred in some embodiments as a telescopic structuremay be more expensive to manufacture or less durable or for otherreasons. Handle 1410 may pivot to allow a user to freely adjust thehandle rotationally relative to the extension, to allow the user toadjust the handle's orientation relative to the interaction element 1430on extension 1420. Tool 1400 also includes a projection 1440 provided tocooperate with a hook.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms withoutdeparting from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. Certainadaptations and modifications of the invention will be obvious to thoseskilled in the art. Therefore, the presently discussed embodiments areconsidered to be illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of theinvention being indicated by the appended claims rather than theforegoing description and all changes which come within the meaning andrange of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embracedtherein.

What is claimed is:
 1. A shoe fastener for use with a shoe having anupper, eyelets in the upper, and laces, the shoe fastener comprising: azipper having a zipper clasp and a tape, wherein the tape has a width oneach side of the zipper clasp; and a plurality of tape eyelets in thetape on each side of the zipper clasp; the tape width being sized andshaped to accommodate the tape eyelets; wherein upon inserting thefastener adjacent to the upper of the shoe, and threading the lacesthrough the shoe eyelets and the tape eyelets to secure the fastener tothe shoe, the shoe may be fastened and unfastened by operating thezipper clasp.
 2. The shoe fastener of claim 1, further including fourextra laces, each extra lace being sized and shaped to thread throughthe tape eyelets on a side of the zipper clasp and the correspondingshoe eyelets on a corresponding side of the upper.
 3. The shoe fastenerof claim 2, wherein the extra laces include a stop at one end, the stopsbeing sized and shaped larger than the tape eyelets, wherein the stoppedend cannot be threaded through the tape eyelets.
 4. The shoe fastener ofclaim 1, wherein the tape width is further sized and shaped so that aseparation distance between tape eyelets on opposing sides of the zipperclasp is substantially similar to a separation distance between shoeeyelets on opposing sides of the upper.
 5. The shoe fastener of claim 1,wherein the number of tape eyelets is the same as the number of shoeeyelets.
 6. The shoe fastener of claim 1, wherein a spacing of tapeeyelets from one another is substantially similar to a spacing of shoeeyelets from one another.
 7. The shoe fastener of claim 1, wherein thezipper is one of: a one-stage type of zipper and a two-stage type ofzipper.
 8. The shoe fastener of claim 1, wherein the tape is made of asoft, pliant, and flexible material.
 9. The shoe fastener of claim 8,wherein the tape material is from the group consisting of: cloth,canvas, plastic, and rubber.
 10. A shoe fastener kit comprising: a shoehaving an upper, eyelets in the upper, and laces; and a shoe fastenercomprising a zipper having a zipper clasp and a tape, and a plurality oftape eyelets in the tape on each side of the zipper clasp; wherein uponinserting the shoe fastener adjacent to the upper of the shoe, andthreading the laces through the shoe eyelets and the tape eyelets tosecure the shoe fastener to the shoe, the shoe may be fastened andunfastened by operating the zipper clasp.
 11. The shoe fastener kit ofclaim 10, wherein the tape is sized and shaped so that a separationdistance between tape eyelets on opposing sides of the zipper clasp issubstantially similar to a separation distance between shoe eyelets onopposing sides of the upper.
 12. The shoe fastener kit of claim 10,wherein the number of tape eyelets is the same as the number of shoeeyelets.
 13. The shoe fastener kit of claim 10, wherein a spacing oftape eyelets from one another is substantially similar to a spacing ofshoe eyelets from one another.
 14. The shoe fastener kit of claim 10,further including four extra laces, each extra lace being sized andshaped to thread through the tape eyelets on a side of the zipper claspand the shoe eyelets a corresponding side of the upper.
 15. The shoefastener kit of claim 14, wherein the extra laces include a stop at oneend, the stops being sized and shaped to be sufficiently large so thatthe stopped end cannot be threaded through the tape eyelets.
 16. Theshoe fastener kit of claim 10, wherein the tape of the fastener iscomprised of the same material as the upper of the shoe.
 17. The shoefastener kit of claim 10, wherein the tape is comprised of a materialhaving at least one of: the same thickness as the upper, the same coloras the upper, the same style as the upper, and the same pattern as theupper.
 18. The shoe fastener kit of claim 10, wherein the tape of thefastener and the upper of the shoe are each made from a soft, pliant,and flexible material.
 19. The shoe fastener kit of claim 10, furthercomprising a zipper pull tool, the tool having an extension and having ahandle and an interaction element secured to opposing ends of theextension.
 20. A shoe fastener for use with a shoe having an upper,eyelets in the upper, and laces, the shoe fastener comprising: a zipperhaving a zipper clasp and a tape, wherein the tape is made of a soft,pliant, and flexible material; an extension element made of a soft,pliant, and flexible material, and attached to each side of the tape;and a plurality of fastener eyelets in each side of the extensionelement; wherein upon inserting the fastener adjacent to the upper ofthe shoe, and threading the laces through the shoe eyelets and thefastener eyelets to secure the fastener to the shoe, the shoe may befastened and unfastened by operating the zipper clasp.